One, Two, What Can I Do? Dance and Music for the Whole Day

Publisher: Red Leaf Press

Language(s): English

BUY THE BOOK

From Redleaf Press: Movement is key in young children's early learning, and the benefits are numerous. (This) book helps early childhood professionals incorporate lively movement and music into every part of the day. With more than 100 playful dance activities, this resource provides a fun way for children to exercise, practice and improve age-appropriate large-motor skills, and develop body awareness and control. Two accompanying music CDs are included with 42 songs and instrumentals written and performed by Debbie Clement.

This review is from: One, Two, What Can I Do?: Dance and Music for the Whole Day (Spiral-bound)

Children have such a natural love of movement! Yet in my work as a dance educator, I often found teachers reluctant to integrate movement activities into their classrooms because they felt they had no dance experience themselves. Thanks to this marvelous book, this won’t be a problem—even for those of us who are sure we have “two left feet”! One, Two, What Can I Do? by Connie Bergstein Dow includes teacher-friendly, no experience necessary, step-by-step directions to more than 100 movement activities and includes CD’s with charming music by Debbie Clement. Activities are designed to be integrated into the day’s rituals (starting the day, circle time, transitions, quiet time and saying goodbye) as well as to teach about language, numbers, shapes, and patterns, science, and social studies. There are also a host of lessons to help young children develop their large motor skills. I can’t recommend this book highly enough!

From The National Dance Education Organization Resource Review Division:

•Presents the scope of dance in early childhood to meet the children’s physical and academic needs

•Provides an excellent resource for new teachers and activities that can be adapted by experienced teachers

•Advocates for dance in early childhood and how dance enhances all learning

•Meets the needs of dance in early childhood pedagogy courses &community and studio teachers very well

•Organized to make it easy and inviting to use.

Five out of Five Stars:

Two DVDs with music complete the package, June 20, 2011 Midwest Book ReviewOne, Two, What Can I Do is for any early childhood education teacher interested in developing movement and dance activities for kids. It offers a spiral bound workbook packed with movement activities based on early childhood curriculum themes, and provides ideas for dance and music presentations for families and friends. No previous dance experience is needed to teach these age-appropriate movements, which come with step-by-step directions and keys to help readers guide kids. Two DVDs with music complete the package.

Great Resource For Music and Movement Time, August 10, 2011, Review by Shirley Rempel: I am so excited to let you know about a fantastic resource from my friends at Redleaf Press. If you are an Early Childhood Educator, Family Child Care Provider, Homeschooler or Early Elementary Teacher you will love this book, to complement your music and movement programs.

Complete with a two CD set, featuring all the songs in the book, you will find some amazing activities that will have your children jumping and moving in no time flat. One, Two, What Can I Do? is set up into seven, color coded sections, each with at least ten activities.

1. Start The Day With Dance and Music (Purple)2. Around The Circle (Light Blue)3. Transitions - Going From Here To There (Light Green)4. Group Movement Explorations (Red)5. Locomotion - Large Motor Skill Activities (Dark Green)6. Quiet Down and Say Good-bye (Dark Blue)7. Dance and Music Presentation Jump-Starts (Orange)

My favorite section was Group Movement Explorations as it incorporates four learning areas - language and literacy; numbers, shapes and patterns; science and social studies. The book is LOADED with fun and easy to implement activities for all children. Each activity is two pages long and gives you all the details you need to get your children moving and having fun! Each activity also gives you ideas for modification, perfect if you have children with special needs or a mixed age group. The songs on the two CD's are super cute, very catchy and easy to learn, especially because you can go here, and find a download of the lyrics!

Again, if you work with children ages 3-6, and are looking for a fun resource to add to your music and movement curriculum, I highly recommend One, Two, What Can I Do? by Connie Bergstein Dow!

I give this product a huge thumbs up!

Pademelon Press (Australia) Review: Keep the day moving with 112 playful dance activities for children three to six years. Each provides children with opportunities to exercise, practiseand improve age-appropriate large motor skills, develop body awareness and control. Enhance children’s physical, social, emotional and kinaesthetic learning with movement activities while creating structure throughout your day, including greetings and goodbyes, group time, transitions, and quiet time. The introduction explains the importance of physical activity in children’s physical and social development and the relevance of research in regard to the brain – body connection. It gives a guide to children’s developmental capabilities, tips for effective classroom management strategies, and environmental requirements. Accessible and adaptable for all children, including those with special needs or different learning styles, each dance-and-music pairing is irresistibly fun. An accompanying music CD has 43 tracks.

Chapter Headings include:Starting the Day with Dance and MusicAround the CircleTransitions — Going from Here to ThereGroup Movement ExplorationLanguage and LiteracyNumbers, Shapes and PatternsScienceSocial StudiesLocomotion — Large Motor Skills ActivitiesWalks and Walking VariationRuns, Prances, Gallops and SlidesSkips and Leaps (age 5 up)Free Movement ExplorationQuiet Down

Review in DENISON Magazine, Volume 101, No. I: Connie Bergstein Dow was Denison’s first dance major and now she’s passing on the knowledge of movement to a new generation. One, Two, What Can I Do? is a book of movement activities tailored to the classroom and complete with a CD filled with Music by Debbie Clement. The idea behind the book is to channel the energy children bring into school (or just into their daily lives at home) by getting them to move, dance, and jive while at the same time encouraging social interaction, emotional development, and creativity. The text contains 119 activities and advice for teachers as they guide the children through movement exercises. There are even modifications for students with special needs.

Featured book: Listed as a Featured Book on the Parentbooks website in the category of Early Childhood Preschool Activities & Curriculum

The following review was included in the June 2011 issue of “California Bookwatch” and also appears in the Cengage Learning, Gale interactive CD-Rom series “Book Review Index.”

One, Two, What Can I Do is for any early childhood education teacher interested in developing movement and dance activities for kids. It offers a spiral bound workbook packed with movement activities based on early childhood curriculum themes, and provides ideas for dance and music presentations for families and friends. No previous dance experience is needed to teach these age-appropriate movements, which come with step-by-step directions and keys to help readers guide kids. Two DVDs with music complete the package.